Old Ohara House, Traditional merchant residence in Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter, Japan

The Old Ohara House is a traditional merchant residence in Kurashiki built with wooden beams, tatami mat rooms, and sliding shoji doors. The layout combines living, storage, and business areas within one building that preserves the characteristic machiya design of this trading center.

The Ohara family rose as cotton brokers among Kurashiki's new merchant class, and their main house is dated to the late Edo period. Ten buildings, including the main house and five storehouses, were designated Important Cultural Properties in 1971, with the land added in 1982. The family later founded Kurashiki Spinning and, through Ohara Magosaburo, the Ohara Museum of Art. The house opened to the public in April 2018 as the Ohara Family Residence.

The house shows how wealthy merchants lived and worked during the Edo period. The layout blends residential and commercial spaces in a way that reflects the daily life of that era.

The house is located in the old town center and is easily reached on foot from the train station. The rooms are narrow and low-ceilinged, so wear comfortable clothes and move carefully, especially when navigating the old corridors.

The house was originally the home of the Ohara family, who later assembled a notable art collection. Their personal passion for art left marks on how they arranged and used their living spaces.